Once we'd finished helping at the bakery, we had time to play before our daily training with Old Man Tobias. We met up with Simon—eight now and already the strongest boy in the village—and his five-year-old sister Kagura, who was sitting on the well curb drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick.
The four of us played hide-and-seek in the village square until Tobias called us over with a wave. The old man led us to the training clearing on the edge of town, where wooden practice posts stood in neat rows and a soft patch of grass was used for falls and rolls.
Tobias taught us basic defensive stances that day, walking each child through the movements slowly and carefully. Erza focused harder than anyone else, repeating each stance over and over until her feet were planted just right and her arms were held perfectly straight. When Tobias had us hold a low stance for as long as we could, Simon lasted thirty seconds, I made it to twenty-five before my legs gave out, but Erza held on for nearly two full minutes before finally standing up—her legs steady, no sign of shaking.
As expected, I thought to myself with a small smile. She's just naturally strong, while I have to work twice as hard for half the result—even with magic. Protagonists really are built different, and that's okay.
When training ended, we sat under the big oak tree that grew at the edge of the clearing, sharing the extra bread Aunt Carla had given us. I'd barely eaten half my piece before my eyes started to droop—I was exhausted from all the work and the little bit of magic I'd used earlier.
"Erza," I said between bites, breaking off a piece for Kagura, "you said you want to protect everyone—but what's the dream you have just for you? Something you'd do even if there was nothing to protect us from?"
She thought for a long moment, staring up at the clouds drifting across the blue sky. After a while, she spoke in a soft but steady voice.
"Maybe… maybe I want to be a Wizard Queen," she said. "Someone so strong and kind that people everywhere feel safe. A queen who makes sure no child ever has to be alone like we were when we first came here."
My eyes went wide with amazement. "A Wizard Queen! That's so cool—you'd be the best queen ever!"
As expected, I thought to myself, feeling a warmth in my chest beyond the sun's rays. I didn't waste all this time helping her train, teaching her little tricks to improve her balance, or sharing every meal I could with her. Even now, her heart is set on protecting others and making the world better—exactly as I knew it would be.
"What about you, Ram?" Simon asked, stretching out on his back in the grass. "What do you want to do when you're grown up?"
I sat up straight and struck a dramatic pose, making Kagura giggle—even though it made my tired muscles ache. "I want to marry two beautiful and strong women!"
Simon burst out laughing, while Erza scowled and punched my arm lightly.
"Pervert! Why two? Isn't one enough?"
"Of course not!" I laughed, rubbing my arm. "After all—I want one in both hands!"
"Pervert!" Erza repeated, her cheeks turning pink as she looked away.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with dreaming big!" I protested.
"Then why not dream of a hundred wives?" Simon joked, sitting up to punch my shoulder in return.
"Nope," I said, my voice turning serious for a moment. "I want to love whoever I choose with everything I have. I don't think I could give more than two people all the care and attention they'd deserve. Two is enough for me."
Erza studied me for a moment, then let out a soft huff. "Playboy."
I leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Well then—how about you be one of them? Become my wife when we're older?"
Erza's face flushed bright red, and she scrambled to her feet so fast she nearly knocked over our basket of berries.
"Him—pervert! In your wildest dreams!"
"So that's a no?"
"Who said no?!" she stammered, her usual poise completely gone as she fumbled with her basket.
"Does that mean you accept?!"
"NO!" she yelled, then turned and ran toward the village as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Hey! Wait up!" I called after her, laughing as I jumped to my feet—but I only made it a few steps before I had to stop and catch my breath. Even when I'm not using magic, I thought with a grin, I can't keep up with her. But that's okay—we don't have to be the same to be good friends.
The rest of our day moved as it always did. We helped Old Henrik mend the fence around his vegetable garden—when it came time to lift a heavy wooden post that even Henrik struggled to move, Erza stepped forward and lifted it clean off the ground with barely any effort. The old man's eyes went wide as saucers.
"Where in the world did you get that strength, young lady?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
I just smiled to myself and kept hammering in the smaller stakes—they were heavy enough for me to handle, and I took pride in making sure each one was straight and secure. I might not be strong like Erza, I thought, and my magic might be weak right now—but I can still help however I can.
Later, we joined a group of kids to help the village healer gather mint and chamomile in the woods, with Kagura carefully pointing out each plant her mother had taught her to recognize. I took my time, making sure to only pick what we needed and not damage any of the plants—my patience was one thing I had more of than most kids my age.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky orange and pink, the villagers gathered in the square where large pots of stew were bubbling over open fires. Erza sat beside me on a wooden bench, her face calm and content as she listened to Tobias tell stories of distant kingdoms where mages could do incredible things with magic. I leaned my head back against the bench, feeling tired but happy.
Every so often she'd glance at me and roll her eyes when I made silly faces at her—but I could see the small smile she tried to hide. I felt the Meteor Dragon lacrima pulse gently in my chest, its energy quiet and steady—not pushing me to be more than I was, just waiting patiently for me to grow strong enough to use it properly. These were simple days, following our familiar rhythm, filled with work and friendship and dreams that stretched as far as the horizon. And even though I knew one day I'd have to train hard to unlock my true potential, for now, I was happy just being Ram—Erza's best friend in Rosem